Hosea 10:1-15 | Food for Thought
Questions
Verses 1-2. Israel enjoyed a lot of prosperity! But it was in their prosperity - not in their poverty - that they stumbled.
What did they put their prosperity towards? Where did they invest?
Why did the Lord find fault there?
Is prosperity in and of itself a dangerous thing for Christians?
If Israel demonstrated a "false heart,” what would a “true heart” have looked like when they were growing, well-off, etc.?
Verses 3-8. Kings and idols will be seen for how temporary and powerless they are against the Lord. Judgment seems to spring up like “poisonous weeds.” But in reality, this has been a longtime coming.
Looking upon Israel now, what are the tell-tale signs that something was wrong in the midst of their prosperity?
Were those signs something that could’ve been seen before judgment fell upon them? Why didn’t they see them?
How could they have looked for them? What should they have done once they found them? How should we be looking for those signs?
How are some of those signs - putting our hope in earthly leaders, making empty priomises, mourning over the loss of worldly / idolatrous things, etc. - able to be seen in the church today?
If weed were going to “pop up” in your life, where would they show up? Where are you prone to not look, not tend, etc.?
Verses 9-15. God declares some things, gives some warnings, and calls Judah, in particular, to avoid the same fate that’s befalling Israel.
Describe the relationship between Israel and the Lord. Where has it been, and where does it seem to be going?
What is God telling Judah to do?
What does their relationship with the Lord make you think and feel about your own relationship with the Lord? How do the principles of reaping and sowing play out in our relationship with God today - especially in light of the gospel?
Why is the Lord redirecting their attention away from their current prosperity or poverty and towards whatever it is they’re sowing and reaping?